Polenta is a traditional Italian winter dish. Polenta taragna differs from regular polenta by the addition of buckwheat flour. This makes it rustic and flavorful, with a more balanced nutrient content that lowers its glycemic index. Mushrooms are one of the most frequently used toppings, making it tasty and delicious. This version of polenta is plant based and has no added oil. This is a bit more of an elaborated recipe, suitable for festivities or special events.
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
for polenta:
- 4.3 cups water
- 2 tbsp of coarse salt
- 7 oz instant taragna polenta
for mushrooms:
- 25 oz mushrooms
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 little bunch of parsley
- 2 tbsp tamari sauce
- 0.2 oz fine salt
to assemble:
- 0.3 cup soy cream
- 10 tbsp nutritional yeast
Directions
Step 1
Put the water and coarse salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. While the water is boiling, add the polenta, little by little, stirring with a whisk. Once all the polenta is added, let it cook for 5 minutes, still stirring with a whisk. Allow the polenta mixture to cool down.
Step 2
Wash the mushrooms and dice them, place them in a non-stick skillet with the cap on. Turn on the stove and heat the mushrooms until they release their water. Drain the water from the pan. Add the fine salt, chopped garlic and parsley to the mushrooms, stir and put the pan back on the stove for about 10 minutes. Add the tamari sauce, stir and cook for another couple of minutes.
Step 3
Once the polenta has solidified, cut it into slices about ¼ inch thick. Get a non-stick pan or pyrex dish, cover the bottom with a little soy cream and make a layer with the polenta slices. Cover this layer with more soy cream, half of the mushrooms and half of the nutritional yeast. Continue by forming another layer of polenta, pour the soy cream over it, then add the last mushrooms and the nutritional yeast.
Step 4
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for about 15 minutes.
Pro Tips:
Another way to enjoy polenta is as soon as it is cooked, serve with sautéed mushrooms.
If you can't find polenta taragna flour, you can use cornmeal polenta, or ready-made polenta rolls, slicing them and proceeding as per the recipe.
